Disposable toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A disposable toothbrush having a one-piece body, bristles and dentifrice holder. The dentifrice holder is flexible, generally tubular in construction and pliant enough for normal brushing action to squeeze the dentifrice therefrom. The dentifrice holder is positioned within the bristles such that the discharging dentifrice is readily picked up by the bristles.

" United States Patent Watson 5] Nov. 4, 1975 1 DISPOSABLE TOOTHBRUSH3,432,245 3/1969 Hudson 401/132 [76] Inventor: George Watson, 21593,589,823 6/1971 Hendnckson 401/287 Downington Ave Salt L k Ci FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Utah 84108 401,378 4/1966 Switzerland 132/84 R22 F1 1 led Oct 1973 Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles [21] Appl. No.:408,506 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Criddle & Thorpe 52 us. c1. 1. 401/286;401/132; 132/84 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. A46B 11/02 A disposabletoothbrush having a one-piooo y, [58] Field of Search 401/286-288,bristles and n ifri e hol r. The n fri h l r i 401 /132, 28; 132/84flexible, generally tubular in construction and pliant enough for normalbrushing action to squeeze the den- [56] Reference Cit d tifricetherefrom. The dentifrice holder is positioned UNITED STATES PATENTSwithin the bristles such that the discharging dentifrice 1,988,5571/1935 Jecker 401/287 x readlly plcked up by the bnstles 3,316,5805/1967 Tebbs 401/132 5 Claims, 1 Drawing Fi ure Patent Nov. 4, 1975 iliil DISPOSABLE TOOTHBRUSH BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention This invention relates to brushes for use in cleaningteeth and particularly to low-cost disposable brushes.

2. Prior Art The desirability of a low cost, disposable toothbrush haslong been recognized, and a number of brushes have been proposed in thepast. The disposable brushes with which I am familiar have had a spongescrubbing surface impregnated with dentifrice and a rigid handle, orhave been made of a composite of materials. Because of the manner inwhich they are constructed and assembled, the disposable toothbrusheswith which I am familiar have been too costly. Also, because thedentifrice used does not stay fresh or is not arranged for convenientdispensing, the brushes have not been entirely satisfactory.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Principal objects of the present invention areto provide a toothbrush that can be conveniently formed of low costmaterials in a single molding operation and that will include adentifrice holder from which dentifrice will be conveniently andautomatically dispensed during a brushing operation.

Other objects are to provide a disposable toothbrush that can be easilyequipped with a moist dentifrice and with the dentifrice holder beingconstructed such that the bulk of the dentifrice will be kept in a moistusable condition for an extended period of time.

Principal features of the invention include a onepiece handle, bristleand dentifrice dispenser construction, all made out of economicalplastic material and formed in a single molding operation.

The handle is made rigid and the bristles and the dentifrice holder areflexible. The dentifrice holder is made hollow and has a small orificeopening through which dentifrice is inserted into the holder and throughwhich the dentifrice is discharged during a brushing operation.

Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description and drawing, disclosing what ispresently contemplated as being the best mode of the invention.

THE DRAWING The sole FIGURE is a perspective view, taken from above andat one end and looking down onto the bristles and dentifrice holder anddispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing:

In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the disposable invention isshown generally at 10.

The brush is made of one piece and preferably is injection molded out ofpolyethylene or other suitable low cost plastic material.

Brush 10, includes a handle 11, which is made sufficiently rigid toallow the brush to be held and manipulated, rows of bristles 12, formedof the same plastic as the handle 11, but made pliant enough to bend onthe handle during use, thereby avoiding damage to tender mouth tissue.The bristles 12 project, in rows from the end of one face of handle 11,and are preferably tapered inwardly from the handle outwardly to theirtips.

A dentifrice holder and dispenser 13 also projects from the face of thehandle from which the bristles extend. Like the bristles, the dentifriceholder and dispenser is made pliant and will bend during use of thebrush. The holder and dispenser 13 is made .hollow and is ofa generallyconical configuration, with the base at the handle and the tip at aboutthe plane of the bristle tips. A small opening 14 at the tip ,providesaccess to the interior of the holder and dispenser, and the interior ofthe holder and dispenseris enlarged to provide a storage area for enoughdentifrice to insure proper brushing.

The holder and dispenser 13 is positioned on the longitudinal centerline of the handle and preferably be tween the row of bristles at theend of the handle and the next adjacent row.

In use, the air-tight package (not shown), in which the toothbrush isdispensed to insure sanitation, is first removed. Thereafter, the brushis used in conventional fashion by moving it back and forth, up anddown, or in circular motions, with respect to the teeth. As the brush ismoved, the bristles clean the teeth in conventional fashion, bending asnecessary for clearance and straightening to move into recesses andopenings. The dentifrice holder and dispenser acts as a bristle, bendingand straightening, and with the tip moving into recesses and openings.However, as the holder and dispenser is bent and as it is moved over theteeth in its bent condition, the dentifrice, contained therein issqueezed through the opening 14 to be picked up by the bristles and tobe used in the cleaning operation. The positioning of the holder anddispenser 13 between the rows of bristles, as specified, insures maximummovement of the holder and dispenser over the teeth and maximumdischarge of the dentifrice contained therein.

The small opening 14 provides a means whereby dentifrice 15 can beinjected into the holder and dispenser 13 during production of thetoothbrush 10, and through which dentifrice can be expelled, as has beenheretofore described. After the dentifrice has been injected into theholder and dispenser, a small portion of the dentifrice at the opening14 will dry out to some extent, thereby keeping air from getting intothe larger interior of the holder and dispenser to dry out the bulk ofthe dentifrice. Naturally, the air tight package (not shown) will alsolimit the amount of dentifrice that may dry out, but in any event, onlya relatively small portion at opening 14 can harden.

The toothbrush herein described is a very low cost item, even if made ofbio-degradable plastic, since it is readily produced with a singlemolding process. It is complete and ready for use, even including itsown supply of fresh dentifrice, and it can be readily handled.

Although a preferred form of my invention has been herein disclosed, itis to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example andthat variations are possible without departing from the scope of thehereinafter claimed subject matter, which subject matter I regard as myinvention.

I claim:

1. A disposable toothbrush comprisin a substantially rigid handle;

pliant bristles projecting from one end of one face of the handle;

a pliant dentifrice holder and dispenser formed as one piece projectingfrom the said face of the handle, between the bristles, said holder anddispenser having a hollow body closed by the said face of the handle anda tip substantially on a plane with tips of the bristles and a smallopening through the ti'p' into the hollow body; and

dentifrice in said hollow body and extending into the 5 opening at thetip thereof.

2. A disposable toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein the cavity of thehollow body is enlarged with respect to the opening through the tip.

3. A disposable toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein next adjacent row.

1. A disposable toothbrush comprising a substantially rigid handle;pliant bristles projecting from one end of one face of the handle; apliant dentifrice holder and dispenser formed as one piece projectingfrom the said face of the handle, between the bristles, said holder anddispenser having a hollow body closed by the said face of the handle anda tip substantially on a plane with tips of the bristles and a smallopening through the tip into the hollow body; and dentifrice in saidhollow body and extending into the opening at the tip thereof.
 2. Adisposable toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein the cavity of the hollowbody is enlarged with respect to the opening through the tip.
 3. Adisposable toothbrush as in claim 1, wherein the handle, bristles andpliant dentifrice holder and dispenser are all formed of one piece ofplastic material.
 4. A disposable toothbrush as in claim 3, wherein thecavity of the hollow body is enlarged with respect to the openingThrough the tip.
 5. A disposable toothbrush as in claim 4, wherein thebristles are in rows; and the holder and dispenser is positioned on thecentral longitudinal axis of the handle and between the row of bristlesnearest the end of the handle and the next adjacent row.